The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-05
CAPTAIN JACK ON THE UTE.
A Frontiersman's Opinion of the Indian
Troubles--Praise for the Cowboy.

A Frontiersmans Opinion of the Indian
Troubies--Praise for the Cowboy.
New York Mail Express.
1t is doubtful if there is better posted man
the Indian question in the East to-day than
Capt. Jack Crawford, the veteran frontiers
man, Familiarity known as 1.-The poet scout" A
reporter. who encountered him at his hotel,
asked him what he thought or the present up
rising IN Colorado Said he
We frontiersmen looked upon men
who hate Indians and regard them as venomous
reptiles who should be crushed on sight. and II
one of US makes statement which conflicts
with the Fenimore Cooper idea, which many
Eastern people have formed of the Indian. he is
apt to be sat down upon. We are mis- judged.
None of US want to fight Indians just for the
pleasure OF fighting them or through any hatred
we bear them. When they confine themselves
to the reservations allotted to them by the gov
eminent and suppress their desire for blood and
pilage. they unmolested by the white peo-
pie of the West This new trouble, so the dis
patches say, originated through the attempted
arrest of some Indians for crime. attempt
which Colorow, the chief III command. resisted
and gathering war party around hun. left the
reservation. To every who knows the In
dian this was seized upon as an excuse for
pundering raid; but that the people out
there have rallied and beaten them back, they
cry out that they we're proceeding peaceably to
their reservation when attacked; that they de-
sired fight Colorow left his reservation in
tent upon blood and plumber, and failed in his
scheme only because Sheriff Kendall and his
gallant cowboys held them in check until rein
forced by the Colorodo State militia. Then
real estate men to cry down any rumored In
dian troubles. which might keep capital away
from the country, began to deuounce the resist
ance made by the settlers. and hurled abuse at
much line upon the authorities for at
lacking tpeaceable Indians ~
You say that land speculation is at the bot
tom of this abuse of the stand taken by Gov.
Adams and the State authoritiese'
Exactly. The White-river country recently
raded by the Utes is rich both mnerally and
agriculturally. The lands have been secured by
nd nv nd Al
being largely advertised. / do not want to say
that Denver papers have been subsidized, but
every time big land man goes into Western
newspaper Office the bosses seize his hand at
once and smile upon him until the temperature
goes up several degrees. Don't you see that if
Indian troubles are reported on those lands
Eastern capitalists will hold aloof and settlers in
search of homes will keep their money in their
pockets and look elsewneres Out there truth
will kick the beam every time If money Is
placed in the scale against it, and hence it is that
some of people called murderers for rs-'
ing and defending their homes. wish to say
right here-and will be backed IN the assertion
by every reputable citizen of the West-that the
cowboys among our best citizens They
love law and order and will risk their lives to
it enforced Every time q sheriff wants posse
to put down crime he calls on the cowboys
and they respond promptly. Sheriff Kendall
called on the cowboys in this Indian trouble, be-
cause he knew they would stand by him. There
are young felows-plenty of them. | regret TO
say-who out there from the East, hire
out cattle ranges for a short time, put on big
boys and go about as terrors and bad men,
These. however, are detestsd by the genuine
cowboy. People to think these wild eyed
fellows going about with clrcuses. etc are cow
boys, but they are not. They wouldn't dare call
themselves such in a cowboy country. have
a who is a cowboy-a sixteen year-old boy
and he is a good one and am proud of him.
He ride the widest horse, rope the widest
steer, shoot Winchester pistol we'll /
can, and is always of the first to volunteer
when the civil authorities call for men to pursue
horse-thleves suppress crime In any FORM If
| should bring him to New YORK to-day he would
shame some of your boys whom l see on the
streets in gentemanly department and in his
language yet he is a typical cowboy.
''You have your ideas regarding the solution
of this yeXed Indian problem. l suppose"
Yes. In common with all Western men
who know the Indian. claim that the War De-
partment should be given charge of all Indian
matters, and Indian agents should be appointed
from among the officers of the army. Put the
until they arrive at years of discretion. Make
soldiers of the older ones, pay them for their
services and nfuse into them the idea that they
trusted, and have been given positions of
honor which they should be proud to hold The
agents thus appointed would be of honor
who would see that the people placed under
them got their rights, and that would remove
no more robbery of the Indian by thieving
agents. the soldiers would 5000 learn to be proud
of the trust reposed in them, the graduated
youths would return and teach their elders what
they had seen of the white people and their
perior mode of life and the Indians would in
short time become self-sustaining l don't
know but that ere long they would feel 1t duty
to send missionaries among the whites and make
an honest endeavor to reclaim them"